EMERYVILLE – Voters in Emeryville said it with their ballots, loud and clear: Keep Pixar and Nemo here.

Companion Measures T and U – placed on the ballot by voter referendum – challenged the popular and successful animation studio’s right to expand its Emeryville headquarters the way it wants.

But when the ballots were finally tallied, more than 70 percent of voters favored Pixar’s plans to triple its work force, construct three new buildings and a parking garage and reroute a planned bike lane on Emery Street to the eastern edge of the studio’s campus, where Pixar will create a 40-foot-wide pedestrian/bicycle path. To vote the opposite way likely would have sent “Toy Story’s” Buzz and Woody packing.

Although the opposition never seemed to have the upper hand, Tom Carlisle, Pixar’s development director, said he was glad it is over.

He said Pixar focused on educating residents about the company’s contributions to the community. The company also was able to expose flaws in the arguments posed by EBASE, the nonprofit organization that spearheaded the opposition drive, Carlisle said.

Still, tooting its own horn was uncomfortable for Pixar, a company not used to being under a microscope – “A Bug’s Life” notwithstanding.

“Maybe more people like Pixar now, but it’s unfortunate it had to be this way,” Carlisle said. “If anything came out of (the election), we hope people realize we do these things because we want to, not because we wanted to win their vote.”

Measure T alters the city’s planned bike routes by giving up a future bike lane on Emery Street and rerouting a bike path around the eastern perimeter of Pixar’s campus. It allows a zoning change to property in the southeast corner of the campus from industrial to commercial.

Measure U authorizes construction of three new buildings and a parking garage, and demolition of the brick building housing Semifreddi’s bakery. Pixar must create a 40-foot-wide pedestrian/bicycle path.

The City Council unanimously endorsed Pixar’s expansion. It will be done in three phases and take 18 years to fully build out.

Amaha Kassa, EBASE co-director, said despite the election outcome, residents and city officials learned some valuable lessons that will help shape future development in Emeryville.

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